Hubbardston Board of Health signs multiple Title 5 permits, flags an 8‑bedroom tank as undersized

The Town of Hubbardston Board of Health on Tuesday approved multiple Title 5 septic inspections and engineering plans and signed a certificate of compliance for a completed repair, while noting at least one property’s existing tank would be undersized under current standards.

The board, meeting at the Slade Building, approved the minutes from its Sept. 9 meeting with two corrections and then reviewed several Title 5 inspection reports and septic engineering plans. The chair signed a disposal system construction permit for the property at 43 Birches after prior approval of the engineering design.

Why it matters: septic approvals and certificates of compliance determine whether systems meet Massachusetts Title 5 requirements for sewage disposal and affect property sales, repairs and future permitting.

Most important actions taken: the board recorded passing Title 5 inspections for multiple properties and signed a certificate of compliance for a recent repair. Members specifically discussed one property listed as an eight‑bedroom house; the board noted the existing tank does not meet current standards for an eight‑bedroom dwelling and said any future repair would require a larger tank.

Details and supporting items: - 20 South Cove Road: Title 5 inspection passed; board asked staff to check tank sizing details. - 105 Hale Road: inspection passed. The board noted paperwork listed an eight‑bedroom capacity; members said the current system, while accepted as in place now, would not meet modern sizing requirements if it were brought in for repair. The board discussed that a modern design for eight bedrooms would typically require a substantially larger tank than older installations. - 72 (Old) Westminster Road: inspection passed; members noted an unusual filter and triple filtration system. - 3 Plum Tree Lane: inspection passed; the inspector recommended the system’s pump be serviced or pumped yearly. - 43 Birches: engineering plan previously approved; the chair signed the disposal system construction permit at the meeting. - 159 Old Westminster Road (septic repair): board reviewed plans and confirmed the repair design and pump chamber; members said the work represented an upgrade from an older 1,000‑gallon tank to a system with a 1,500‑gallon tank and pump chamber. - 2 George Howard Road: the board noted the certificate of compliance for the repair was signed Sept. 9 and that the file is complete. - Map 5, Parcel 22 (Ragged Hill Road): engineering plans for new construction were reviewed; the board confirmed the engineering plans were previously approved in February 2024 and noted a well permit was still pending.

The board also added an installer to the town’s installer list (FA Machete and Sons) after confirming documentation in the file and approved multiple food‑vendor permits for upcoming community events (see separate article on events). The Hubbardston Police Department’s food permit for Halloween was recorded as fee‑waived.

Quotations from the meeting came from board members and staff during the reviews. The chair summarized the action on the eight‑bedroom property, noting that "if they ever come up for repair, the tank would have to be a larger tank. It doesn't meet current standards for an 8 bedroom house." The board recorded the related recommendations in the file.

Ending: Board members said they would file the signed permits and certificates with town records and notify property owners or their representatives where follow‑up (such as yearly pump service or missing water tests) was required.